Tickled Pink
by siriusly delicious
Summary: This is a story about Tonks and Lupin. Just fluffy lovey stuff, very soppy. I wanted it to be in the Marauders era so i had to change Tonks age from 13 years younger than Lupin to only 3 years, sorry : .
1. Falling

There are many different ways to fall in love. Some people are hit by it, like a hammer, it just happens. Others find one day that feelings had for a friend have gradually intensified, quite beyond their knowledge, into love. For Remus it was different. The feeling bubbled up inside him from a place deep down he didn't really know existed. Not fierce, not sudden, not gradual either, but gentle and persistent and... beautiful. He knew at once that he loved her, and yet he did not know.

Remus was walking down the corridor with his fellow Marauders. James Potter, running his hands through his already messy hair, Sirius Black, strolling with his easy grace and Peter Pettigrew, jogging slightly to keep pace with the taller boys' long strides. They rounded a corner and were collided with by a flurry of black, yellow and bubblegum pink. The girl then proceeded to fall sprawling on the floor, dropping all the textbooks and parchment she was carrying and spilling ink over all of them.

Remus was shocked at the sudden collision, but, being as he was, knelt to help the young Hufflepuff.

"Come on, Moony." James sighed.

Yeah she bumped into us. Let her deal with her crap." Grumbled Sirius, without actually looking at the girl but checking out a group of Ravenclaws in the corner.

But Remus just shot them a dirty look and continued helping the fallen girl.

When all the books had been picked up and rid of ink with a flick of Remus' wand, he reached out to help her up. As she rose her pink hair fell from her face and Lupin's hazel eyes locked on hers, cornflower blue, then changing to green, then hazel and back to blue.

A warm bubbling feeling arose in Remus looking into those ever changing eyes. They stood for a moment before he caught himself.

"You OK?" Remus asked kindly, shaking his head slightly to try and rid himself of the warm woozy feeling.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." The girl answered blushing a dark red that was mirrored in her hair before scurrying off.

"Who was that?" asked Remus, looking back at the slight shape hurrying down the corridor.

"Oh that's Drommie's daughter, Nymphadora her name is." Sirius replied lazily.

Remus said nothing as he watched Nymphadora Tonks turn the corner and disappear out of his sight.

Suddenly James snorted with laughter, making Peter jump in fright. "You fancy her don't you, Moony?" he accused still laughing.

Sirius span on his heel to look at Lupin. "You do know what age she is don't you?" he asked.

" Well... um... no, but... who says I even like her?" stuttered Moony.

"I could see you drooling over her you know." laughed Prongs.

"Shut up Potter." Sirius snapped, "She's fourth year Lupin, and you're seventh, it's practically illegal! You try anything with her and I'll kick your arse you hear me?"

Remus tried to argue but no words would come, not that anything would help the situation. The dark haired boy clapped him on the shoulder in companionship but Remus was quiet on the way to common room as the others talked and laughed loudly.


	2. Tears

Tickled Pink

Chapter 2 – Tears

The next morning Remus found himself scouring the Hufflepuff table for Nymphadora.

"There's no point looking for pink," said Padfoot, reading Remus' mind but not bothering to look up from his Daily Prophet, "she's a metamorphagus, she's probably changed it by now."

But then Moony say it. The shoulder length spiky pink hair bobbing as she talked animatedly to her friends. He could not help but let out a small gasp of happiness. For which he received a sharp kick under the table from Sirius that turned him resolutely back to his eggs. Although he could not help but look at her every now and again throughout the meal.

The bell rang for classes and, with prompting from Lily Evans all four Marauders rose. Sirius and Peter started toward the doors but when Remus went to follow them James caught his arm.

"Try to make it less obvious, Moons" he said seriously, "you know how close Sirius is to his cousin Drommie and that's her daughter, he's bound to be protective. But he'll come round." James smiled squeezing Remus' arm and letting go. "And please mate, do remember what age she is." He smirked.

Remus opened his mouth to retort but looked into his friends dark brown eyes and shut it, nodding.

"Good" James asserted, "now come on. We're going to be late for History of Magic, again."

As they snuck into their seats in the class Professor Bins had already begun his lesson. But, as usual he didn't notice they had entered and carried on speaking in a monotonous tone. James and Remus sat at the back next to Peter and Sirius respectively.

"Where've you been, Moons?" Sirius whispered.

"Left my bag in the Great Hall, had to go back and get it. James came too."

This explanation seemed to suffice because Sirius turned his attention back to is note. Although Remus knew that they were just the doodles of a bored teenager.

When they left the cold, stone room an hour later the corridor thronged with students, all dressed in winter cloaks and many flushed from the icy wind outside. The four used the superiority of their years and Remus' status as prefect to push their way through the crowds.

On their way to the next class, Potions, Remus thought he caught a glimpse of pink in a group of Hufflepuffs. He turned to look causing the girls to giggle and Remus to receive an elbow in the ribs from James.

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully. Except foe James and Sirius getting yet another detention to add to their ever growing list. They had taken an opportunity in Potions to spill a large quantity of suspicious liquid on Severus Snape that caused him to come out in innumerable painful boils. Although this could not really be counted as an event as it was wont to happen every few days at least.

"It's going to be shit," Sirius grumbled, "detention with Slughorn on a Friday night. I could think of so many things I'd rather be doing."

James just grunted over his late History of Magic essay that Binns hadn't stayed awake and conscious of his class long enough to collect yet.

They were curled by the fire in The Gryffindor common room. Sirius and Peter on the floor playing a rather one-sided game of wizard chess. James at a small table with a long roll of mostly blank parchment and Remus seated in a large squashy armchair.

An hour and several games of chess and exploding snap later, James and Sirius left for their detention with Slughorn.

"Want to play with me?" Peter asked, gesturing to the board already set with the enchanted chess pieces.

"Oh, all right." Remus slipped down off his chair and sat beside the small pudgy boy to play a game of chess that could only end one way.

After Peter had been beaten repeatedly Remus began to get bored and restless. He had already exhausted his pile of homework, as was his nature, so was at a loss as to what could amuse him.

"Right," Moony said putting on hand on either side of his chair and pushed himself up to a standing position, "I'm going for a walk."

Remus looked to Peter. He had just found a rather nasty homework for charms he had forgotten about. Wormtail wasn't going to be going anywhere that night.

"Well. See you soon." Remus called as he stepped lightly through the portrait hole and started off down the deserted corridor alone.

The castle was quiet because, even though curfew had not yet arrived, everyone was tucked up in their warm common rooms. It was winter so although it was only seven o'clock outside it was dark and inside only lit by torches mounted on the walls. Remus pulled his warm cloak 'round him and thanked Merlin he had thought to bring it.

As he walked he heard a sound. Remus stopped, listening intently. And, yes, there it was again, a soft sniffling noise coming from an alcove behind a tapestry. Someone was crying.

Suddenly the tapestry slid to one side as the source of the crying sound slipped out.

"Nymphadora!" Remus exclaimed.

She looked up, startled, and promptly tripped over her feet and fell against his chest. Nymphadora looked up at him, he had to try his hardest not to meet those eyes, so beautiful glistening with tears. She blushed brilliantly scarlet, pulled herself up and stared down at her bright yellow Doc Martin boots instead of the face of the older boy.

"What's wrong?" he asked, more gently than his initial reaction.

The girl said nothing but blushed more than ever.

"Come on now, you can tell me." Remus smiled and tapped his prefect badge jokingly. Then, acting on impulse, put a tentative arm around Nymphadora's slim shoulders. The effect was amazing, the warm feeling rose in his chest and began coursing through his veins. She straightened and looked up at Remus' face face for the first time that night. Her eyes made his chest tighten and he no longer trusted himself to stand. Instead he walked her to a broad window ledge and sat down.

"Tell me what's happened." Remus prompted again. And finally she gave in.

"There's this Slytherin boy," Nymphadora sniffed, "he calls me names and teases me for being in Hufflepuff. He said that it's where they put the stupid people who aren't good enough for the other houses." Her eyes began to fill up again with tears. "He's in my Charms and Transfiguration classes and laughs at me when I get something wrong or make a mistake. I always make mistakes, maybe I am just stupid." The tears ran silently down her cheeks.

Remus felt immediate, intense hatred for this boy, how dare he upset this delicate, sensitive, beautiful... Remus stopped himself, no he mustn't think like that. But then he had an idea, be completely innocent, just... helpful.

"First of all, you are in no way stupid. And Hufflepuff is not for those unworthy of other houses, Hufflepuff is for those that are hard-working, kind, fair, patient and generous." He ventured giving her shoulder a squeeze and letting his arm drop, "How about you show me your hard working side. I'll tutor you, meet you in the library or something and help you with Charms and Transfiguration. And if all else fails we'll get James and Sirius to try punching some sense into this boy." For this he earned a watery smile.

"Come on, I'll walk you down to your common room. Shouldn't be out this late little missy." Remus smiled

"But how do you know where it is?" asked Nymphadora, her eyes clearing of the mistiness crying had given them.

Remus thought of the Marauders' Map that he would bet anything James or Sirius had tucked into his robes and just smiled tapping the side of his nose.

They walked in silence, neither really daring to speak, although Remus did have to reach out and catch the clumsy girl more than once as she tripped on stairs or simply her own feet. When they arrived at the Hufflepuff entrance Remus finally broke the silence.

"Goodnight, Nymphadora." He whispered, "and don't let him get to you, OK?" He placed a hand on her shoulder. The contact sent a surge of electricity shooting up his arm, "I'll see you at five on Sunday."

Nymphadora nodded and, just as he began to walk back toward the stairs, she spoke.

"Thank you," she said, "and, um, Remus, call me Tonks would you?"

He turned back to her, smiling, "Goodnight, Tonks."


	3. Sleeplessness

Chapter Three – Sleeplessness

"Where were you?" The three other Gryffindors, with whom Remus shared his dormitory, looked up at him.

"I… well… I went for a walk. Didn't I?" He looked to Peter for confirmation, who nodded.

"Don't worry, mate," Padfoot chuckled, "we only wondered. You can go wherever you want. Frankly, I don't give a shit."

Remus smiled, "Yeah, sorry. How was detention with old Sluggie?"

"Oh, best night of my life." James replied, with an expression resembling that of someone remembering a nasty encounter with some Blast Ended Screws. Sirius merely let out a sigh of misery.

"That good?" asked Remus, trying to keep a straight face after his friends' reactions, "What did he have you doing?"

"It was terrible. He kept us the cauldrons of a particularly inept second year class. They were all incrusted with grime and sludge. Then he made us clean them all… by hand!" Sirius shuddered at the thought of manual labour and Remus could not help but let out a snort of laughter.

Sirius shot him a look of disgust. But this only worsened the fit of laughter into which Remus had descended at the looks on the faces of his peers.

As he laughed ever harder he lost his balance and came tumbling off the trunk on top of which he had perched, falling sprawled on the floor. This left all four boys in huge fits of laughter, with Remus unable to pick himself up. Instead he lay until his laughter had subsided enough for him to stand. They did not fully compose themselves for a good ten minutes.

When, finally, they had calmed down the four set about readying themselves for bed, sides still aching. Showering, changing and making last minute checks for any neglected homeworks. It was midnight when they had finished.

"I'm wrecked." Sirius was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his raven hair dripping down his back onto his sheets. Wearing only boxer shorts, Sirius' lean, muscular body glistened after his shower.

"Well, shut up, get under your sheets and sleep then. None of us want to see all of that." James gestured to Sirius' lack of clothing.

Sirius laughed and, feigning offense, made a huge show of getting off the bed, peeling back the covers and slipping beneath them.

Soon all four boys were tucked up in their enormous four-poster beds.

But Remus couldn't sleep, all he could think of was Nymphadora. Although he knew she preferred it he could not bring himself to call her by her surname. Such an androgynous name for such and obviously feminine being. He could not get her out of his head.

Countless floors below, in the warm, earthy basement that housed the Hufflepuffs, someone else lay awake.

Tonks was curled in her soft, cosy bed. All thoughts of sleep gone. The only thing occupying her head was Remus. But how, how could she be so enthralled? She had only met Remus a few days ago. She wasn't the kind of girl who obsessed over boys. She was her own person, she didn't need a boyfriend like the other girls seemed to. Tonks had never been in a relationship, and this had never bothered her before, after all she was only fourteen. But it was different now. Remus was all that she could think about. She had to have him, she had to be near to him.

"Who is it?" Tonks' fellow Hufflepuff and best friend, Emily Barrett, clambered onto the end of her bed.

"What do you mean?" Asked Tonks, genuinely bemused.

"Who is the boy you fancy?" Emily pressed, her curly brown hair bouncing excitedly, "You never fancy anyone. Tell, tell, tell, tell!"

Tonks smiled and kicked out at her giggling friend to silence her. But there was no point in lying, Emily knew her too well.

"OK. I'll tell you. But you have got to shut the hell up!" Emily nodded solemnly, the ghost of a smirk playing on her lips. "He's in seventh year…" The end of her sentence was cut off by Emily's gasp.

"Seventh year?" Emily leant forward, "Shit, Seriously?"

Tonks laughed, "Yeah but it doesn't matter. It's not as if he'd ever even look at me."

"Shut up! You are amazing, you're funny and smart and we have had this conversation so many times that I am not even going to start again. Anyway, what does he look like?"

"Well he's quite tall, thin, and pale and he's got gorgeous light brown hair. Then his eyes! Oh, he's got eyes the most beautiful shade of hazel." Tonks smiled as she remembered his face, perfect in her eyes.

"And what's his name?"

"Remus Lupin"

"The Gryffindor Prefect?" Emily was getting more and more excited by the second.

"Yes, him." Tonks looked down at her covers, embarrassed.

"Oh he is gorgeous!" Emily giggled, "And imagine the perks of dating a prefect!"

"Like what?" Tonks asked, looking up.

"Well we don't know yet, do we?" Emily nudged her friend, "But we'll find out."

Tonks smiled "And how do you propose we go about that particular mission? Do you have a line of Prefect boys waiting to go out with you?"

"Well, no, but you are going to ask Remus out aren't you? When will you next be able to 'bump into' him?"

"He said he would meet me in the library on Sunday. He's going to help me with my school work."

Emily clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out, but Tonks ignored her.

"I will not ask him out though. He's only being nice anyway. Now go back to bed and let me sleep!" Despite her harsh sounding words Tonks smiled at her friend, who reciprocated before slinking back to her own bed.

But Tonks did not sleep. Nor was she uneasy. Talking about her feelings for Remus had made them seem more real, so she lay down and enjoyed them.


	4. Snow

Chapter Four – Snow

The next day was a Saturday so, after breakfast, the four Marauders followed the example of their peers in heading outside. It had snowed the previous night. Thick, fluffy snow had settled on Hogwarts and its grounds, turning them into a winter wonderland.

Remus, Sirius, James and Peter ventured out clad in warm coats and red and gold Gryffindor scarves. . Students thronged the snow covered spaces, playing at snowball fights, ice-skating or simply strolling the ground enjoying the beauty. And Remus did agree it was beautiful. The snow had softened the edges of Hogwarts, covering its tall towers in a thick layer of fuzzy whiteness. Hagrid's hut, too, had been coated, making it look like a gingerbread cottage. And the Forest looked like something from a story book. The overall effect was breath-taking.

As they walked James spotted a snowball fight.

"Look! Over there!" He laughed pointing to the group of people nearby, "Let's join in."

Sirius nodded eagerly, a mischievous glint in his eye. The two raven-haired boys looked to Peter and Remus.

"Wormtail? Moons?" Sirius nudged them good naturedly. Remus looked at his fellow students, engrossed in their game. He was torn between his duties as a Prefect, to set an example, and the itching in his fingers as he longer to join them. The latter won out and Remus smiled in agreement. Upon seeing that, if he didn't, he would be left alone Peter too conceded.

All four ran to the group of students playing not far away. Immediately they were accepted into the battle taking place. There were students of all ages, from all four houses, partaking in the frivolities. Remus smiled to himself at how a lot of frozen water could unite them all, if only for an hour or so.

He was soon engrossed in play, for two main reasons. Firstly, Remus was thoroughly enjoying himself, and secondly, James and Sirius took no prisoners. Then he saw someone. The very person he had subconsciously wanted to see all morning. Nymphadora Tonks. He did not recognize her for her hair today. For, in keeping with its wintry surroundings, it was a dazzling shade of brightest, purest white. Remus recognized the bright yellow Doc Martin boots that she was never seen without and the way in which she stumbled and slid on the ice. Like Bambi, he thought, fondly remembering the Muggle movies from his childhood.

Remus was jerked from his daydream as a snowball hit in square on the side of his head. He turned to see Sirius laughing, clutching at his side.

"Shit Sirius!" Remus shouted to him over the clamour, "That hurt!" He then picked up a snowball of his own, chucking it at his laughing friend, who was hit straight in the chest. The combined force of Sirius' laughter and the blow to his chest sent him toppling into a large snow bank.

Around forty five minutes later the school began returning inside to dry off and warm up before lunch. Predictably the Marauders were of the last to retire. When finally they tore themselves from the freezing whiteness there were only three other groups of people still outside. One being Tonks and her friends. Remus looked over to see her shake the snow from her brilliant white hair as she entered the castle after her fellow Hufflepuffs. The simple act made Remus' heart skip a beat. He could not help but think of how beautiful she was. The perfection of her large eyes that she preferred to keep a deep indigo. The way her dazzling white hair, far from blending in with the surrounding snow, put it to shame, making the perfect white snow seem dull and grey tinged. Remus cursed himself for falling for someone so much younger, but he looked forward to seeing her the next day, more than anything.

Tonks kicked the snow from her boots and shook it from her hair. Then promptly slipped on the slick stone floor of the Entrance Hall.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, picking herself up and wiping herself down, "Why the hell do I have to be so damn clumsy?"

Tonks stuck out her tongue as Emily laughed, the proceeded to offer a rude gesture to some Ravenclaw boys who were laughing and wolf whistling.

"Come on," smiled Emily, "let's get dry before lunch. Oh, I hope they have Shepherd's Pie." She added, as an after thought, licking her rosebud lips. Tonks made a gagging face, she hated Shepherd's Pie. What she did hope for at lunch was a glimpse of Remus.

She had seen him when she was trying, and failing, to skate on the lake. Tonks was sure, as she fell for the thousandth time, that he had been looking at her. But, by the time she had managed to regain some sort of standing position, he was playing with his friends again. Tonks cursed herself for falling for someone so much older, but she looked forward to seeing him the next day, more than anything.


End file.
